ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

INDIANA STATE FAIR, FOR 1855,

TO THE

STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

BY L. BOLLMAN, ESQ.

The Reporter for the State Board submits the following report:

Having received the appointment of Reporter, without any specific duties assigned, I have endeavored to present such matters growing out of the Fair of 1855, as I considered most useful. I have not followed the course taken in my report of the first State Fair-a detailed statement of the exhibitors' names and the things exhibited-for this has been done by the newspapers of Indianapolis; but I have grouped together the leading animals and articles of each class, making such observations on each as may serve to further improvement in fature. The following matters are noticed:

5. Of Hogs-best breeds-crossing, &c.-Bacon, methods of curing and keeping.

9.

Of fruits-kinds of trees-situation of orchard-peach borer

12. Of agricultural implements-best selection for certain localities.

20. Recommendations for better arrangement of articles, and making known their character, names of owners, breeds, ages of stock, &c.

1. Every one has rejoiced to know that the Fairs are permanently located at Indianapolis. Its central position, its easy access by railroads, and its great capacity to entertain a large concourse of strangers, makes this city desirable for all. The fixtures of the grounds are of the most substantial character, which could not be so long as the Fairs were held at different places. The arrangements, being permanent, will save a future heavy expense; and seats, a greater subdivision of departments, and a decoration of the grounds, can gradually be made.

A leading feature of the Fair was its complete success. Everything favored this result. The weather could not have been finer; the entire arrangements were so ably carried out by the President, Superintendent, clerks, and police, that no accident or unpleasant disturbance occurred.

2. Although the fixtures of the grounds were not complete, yet they were stopped at the right point, that experience might more certainly indicate how they could best be completed. The floral tents constituted an agreeable variety to the frame departments, and their circular form and raised center gave opportunity for a fine display of the articles exhibited.

It is understood that the President has suggested the removal of the sheep pen to another part, and placing there another tent for the exhibition of young mens' work—an excellent idea, and one characteristic of the taste and judgment of that officer. But the want of sufficient and comfortable seats was complained of by all, and these ought to be made. Where the reporter's shed now stands, a semi-circle of seats might be made, with a speaker's stand a little advanced in the center, as in the Hall of Representatives, so that his entire audience might be comfortably seated. Here might be delivered one or more addresses, on each day of the Fair, whilst the weary were resting.

The horse ring will always constitute a leading attraction for visitors. The level character of the ground prevents nearly all from seeing, and around a portion of it raised seats might also be erected. Should these not be enough, others might be made against the canal and fence at the southwest corner; for here the fence casts a shade that was sought for by many.

The hog and sheep pens ought to be covered, for a rain will make them unpleasant, and we cannot always expect such weather as we have had. Clusters of evergreen trees might be set out in different places, which would add variety to the general view, and at the same time promote a taste for such ornaments of grounds.

3. The exhibition of horses was vary large, and among them were many superior animals. After classing them into farm, draft, carriage, and riding horses, I endeavored to trace the stock of each of these divisions; but I soon found that this was a hopeless undertaking; for nearly every horse had a stock after his own name, indicating a mixture of breeds not calculated to perfect the horse-an error that has been avoided in the breeding of nearly all other stock except the common stock of our country.

The farm horses exhibited had too much coarseness and awkwardness in their movements. No distinction should be made between the farm horse and one for general purposes. For the uses of the farm, especially mares for breeding purposes, demand action and beauty of form. The progeny of these coarse brutes fill our State; and at every cross roads one of these two dollar and fifty cent animals may be found. It is to be hoped that they will be discarded from our fairs.

There were two varieties of the draft horse exhibited-the Canadian and the English. The first was a small horse as to height, but strongly muscled, with action well suited for the plow and the wagon. The other was a heavy black horse, said to have been imported from England, with powerful muscles, but fitted for the dray alone. Hence they never will be bred to any great extent. And even for the purposes of the dray, less bulk and more speed are preferred, except in such a city as Pittsburgh, where iron is drayed over streets paved with the large round pebble stone. In such cases bulk is desirable to resist the jar of the dray.

The carriage horses were more numerous. Of these the Highlander stock was best represented, by a gray from Ohio and a black from Hendricks county-of fine size and lofty bearing, with good action, they would be, unsurpassed in harness. Close upon these was Halcorn, of Putnam county, of the Virginia and Kentucky stock, but still differing much from the racer.

The most numerous class was the riding horses, showing in their size and form their descent from the Kentucky racers, but bred with every mixture of the various subdivisions of that descent from the English racers.

Of these breeds, I regarded it as important to choose one best adapted for profit to the farmer, not simply for the purposes of the farm, but for sale also. To aid me in such selection, I examined the reports of the committees on horses, supposing that in making their awards they would have noticed in detail the points of the successful competitors, and the general fitness of the horses for the purposes for which they were exhibited, accompanied with remarks on the breeds and breeding of horses, such as the exhibition and their own experience were calculated to suggest.

For instance, in awarding the first premium to Proud American, of Wayne county, over Chancellor, the black Highlander, of Hendricks, why did not the committee state the respective merits of both horses? Such a statement would have informed the readers of the reported transactions of the Board of Agriculture of the points constituting a good horse, and of the respective merits of different breeds. Instead of such a report we have nothing more than the naked award. A similar course has been taken by all the committees on stock, except that on hogs. Even the committee on sweepstakes on bulls, which could not come to any

decision, failed to state the merits and imperfections, in detail, of the competing

animals.

The State Board should require such detailed reports-that the same course be pursued as is taken by the judiciary of the State, and then there will soon go abroad that information which it is the object of our annual volume to disseminate.

In the absence of such reports from the committees, I have collected such information as will be useful, on all subjects noticed in this report.

Of the breeds of Horses best adapted to our State.-These, in my judgment, are for the harness and the saddle. We have no markets for heavy draft horses, the mule being used in the south for working. The harness horse, especially matches, are most in demand, and command the highest prices. Such horses must have size, action, endurance, a lofty carriage, and good dispositions. The two dollar and fifty cent stallions have none of these qualities but the first. They are ill tempered, with no beauty of carriage or movements, and are bad travelers and workers.

Of the breeds exhibited at the Fair, the Highlanders were best adapted for the harness. But the Morgan has the most general reputation, and, therefore, I add a description of that celebrated stock.

ness.

The Farmers' and Planters' Encyclopædia says: "Perhaps the very finest breed of horses in the United States, when general usefulness is taken into consideration, is what is commonly known in the northern and eastern States, as the Morgan horse. This breed is distinguished by its activity, united with strength and bardiIts size is moderate, and though not often possessing the fleetness which recommends it to the sportsman, it has enough speed to entitle it to the appellation of a fast traveler. Their usual height is from fourteen to fifteen hands, color bay, make round and rather heavy, with lean heads, broad and deep chests, the fore limbs set wide apart, legs clean and sinewy, short, strong backs, with that projection of the ribs from the back bone, which is a sure indication of great development of lungs, and consequently of great wind and bottom. For saddle, draft, and other purposes, the Morgan horses bred in Vermont, and in all the eastern States, including the northern and western part of New York, are so much prized as to command much higher prices in the principal cities of the Atlantic States than horses from other parts of the Union."

This breed is said to have originated in Vermont, about 1804, from the French Canadian horse and the New England mare. The objection to it arises from its size, and the Ladds, of Ohio, who breed the Morgan, are about to cross it with the Messenger stock, a cross having the highest repute. The New York Spirit of the

times says:

"Ten

years ago, to drive a horse seventy miles between sun and sun, would have been deemed a great performance; but since strains of the blood of old Messenger have been introduced into our road stock, at the north, hundreds of horses can be found that can travel from eighty to ninety miles without distress. In our paper of this day is a report of the performance of a horse in Boston, that, without being trained, was driven 103 miles between sunrise and sunset, over a hilly road, before a carriage, which, with the rider, weighed 470 pounds."

Performances like these have given to the Messenger and Morgan stocks their reputation, and their introduction into our State should not be delayed.